Self-poisoning as a model for the study of the mutagenicity of chemicals in human beings.

Individuals who poison themselves in a suicide attempt with extremely large doses of chemicals may comprise a population that is useful for the study of the possible mutagenicity of drugs and other compounds. After the demonstration of the demographic data of completed and attempted suicide cases, the methodology of short-term somatic and long-term germinal mutagenesis systems are described. Finally the advantages and disadvantages of this human experimental epidemiological model are discussed, pointing out the practical and theoretical importance of the approach.